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'Historic' fall in unemployment figures
09 January 2016 @ 23:34

JOBLESS figures in Spain fell more than ever before in history during 2015, which closed with just under 4.04 million on the dole, of whom 55,800 had de-registered in December alone.

This translates as exactly 354,203 fewer people signing on as at the end of 2015, compared with numbers from the end of 2014.

According to the ministry of employment and social security, this represents the greatest fall in unemployment since records began in 1996.

Reductions in jobless numbers in December, when the Christmas campaign starts, have been consistently increasing over the last four years with more and more new staff being taken on to work the festive season in shops, bars and hotels.

And the number of workers now signed up to the social security – meaning they are now paying their national insurance 'stamp' through having a job or being self-employed – rose in 2015 by over half a million, or 3.18%.

In December, a total of 85,314 workers registered on the social security either through their employer or through being self-employed – a rise of 0.5% - bringing the annual increase to 533,186 and leaving the year-end total at nearly 17.31 million.

A fall in dole benefits paid out was seen year-on-year in November 2015, with 55.3% of registered unemployed persons receiving payment compared with 57.9% in November 2014.